In the present art, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device such as an actuator element or a sensor element, which uses a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer, is produced as follows. A wiring pattern made of one electrode layer is formed on a ceramic substrate by printing, for example. A piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer is further formed thereon by printing, followed by sintering to fix the layer. After that, a wiring pattern made of another electrode layer is formed (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-320103).
The piezoelectric/electrostrictive device can be used as an actuator element in which an electric field is applied to the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer by supplying an electric signal to the wiring pattern so that the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer is consequently displaced. The device can be also used as a sensor element in which an electric signal generated depending on the pressure applied to the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer is outputted from the wiring pattern.